Mercosur

• Thursday, June 23rd 2011 - 21:31 UTC

  Brazilian president ‘votes’ for Cristina Fernandez and anticipates re-election

  

  Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff said she is convinced of her Argentine peer Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner re-election victory next October 23. Argentina is Brazil’s main associate in Mercosur and third trade partner.

• Tuesday, June 14th 2011 - 22:39 UTC

  Humala reaffirms historic links: “Peru will always support Argentina”

  

  President-elect Ollanta Humala said Peru has shown “it will always support Argentina” and underlined the long standing close relations with the country that hosts one of the largest Peruvian communities overseas.

• Tuesday, June 14th 2011 - 21:07 UTC

  Volcanic ash cloud forces the re-programming of Mercosur technical meeting

  

  The 83rd ordinary meeting of the Common Market Group in the framework of Mercosur and which was scheduled for this week has been re-programmed for June 16 and 17, because of the volcanic ash cloud that has disrupted normal air traffic.

• Tuesday, June 14th 2011 - 20:47 UTC

  EU/Mercosur trade talks are frozen on the “edge of the cliff”

  

  Trade talks between Mercosur and the European Union have been frozen on the “edge of the cliff” because of the European debt crisis, differences over agriculture subsidies and other crucial issues according to sources in Brazil from both sides.

• Tuesday, June 14th 2011 - 02:48 UTC

  Peru’s Humala interested in joining “political” mechanisms of Mercosur

  

  Peru is interested in regional integration, security, education, combating narcotics but full membership of Mercosur is “distant” said president elect Ollanta Humala during a one day visit to Uruguay, before leaving late Monday for Argentina.

• Saturday, June 11th 2011 - 11:27 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez presidential bid “is headed towards a predictable scenario”

  

  The candidacy of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner “is headed towards a predictable scenario” assured Buenos Aires province Governor Daniel Scioli in an interview he granted to Ambito Financiero's new TV show, “Ambito de debate”.

• Friday, June 10th 2011 - 02:50 UTC

  Paraguayan Senate approves Unasur charter; new Venezuela Mercosur bid

  

  The Paraguayan Senate approved the Unasur, Union of South American Nations charter and treaty which were signed by the Executive in May 2008. The next step is in the Lower House which will then formalize Paraguay’s full membership of the group.

• Wednesday, June 8th 2011 - 16:36 UTC

  Uruguay considers China a ‘strategic partner’ and supports a Beijing-Mercosur trade accord

  

  Uruguay sees China as a ‘strategic partner’ and has kept good relations with Beijing since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in 1988, said Uruguayan Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro, a former ambassador to China from 2007-2009. Almagro made the statement as Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping begun his official visit to Uruguay.

• Wednesday, June 8th 2011 - 03:14 UTC

  “A Lula da Silva man steps down; a Dilma woman moves in”

  

  Brazilian Senator Gleisi Helena Hoffmann, 45, wife of Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo has been chosen by President Dilma Rousseff to replace outcast Antonio Palocci as chief of staff.

• Tuesday, June 7th 2011 - 01:25 UTC

  Brazil government celebrates Humala’s victory; invites president-elect to Brasilia

  

  Brazil’s presidential foreign affairs advisor Marco Aurelio Garcia celebrated the victory of nationalist Peruvian president elect Ollanta Humala who beat Keiko Fujimori in the Sunday run off by a minimum difference.